Lightning Born
by The Ancient of Peace
Summary: An ancient evil has awakened. The riders aren't prepared to meet this threat. But one will rise among them that will combat this threat with a gift bestowed on her by the eldest Eldunari Valdr. But will this one be victorious or will this one fall to the very threat that this one was born to face? Witness the return and the birth of a hero the birth of the Lightning Born.


Chapter One: Return of Evil

Torstyn looked down on the village of Aclea as his dragon Rhea flew over it. Aclea looked much like any other village in this part of the world – a cluster of buildings with thatched roofs surrounded by a palisade.

_What do you think Rhea? _asked Torstyn.

_It looks like a perfectly normal village to me. Then again I don't know much about how two-legs build their dwellings. _Stated Rhea.

_I know, but something seems to be missing. Turn around for one more pass and then I'll decide if we should land or not._

_Agreed._

Rhea banked and as she did Torstyn couldn't help noticing that the color of Rhea's scales was the deepest purple he had ever seen. Rhea was small for a dragon of her age but she was still twenty feet long from head to tail and with a wingspan one-and-a-half times that, she seemed plenty large enough.

Some of his thoughts must've gotten to Rhea because she turned her head to look at him in the saddle with amusement in her eyes. Torstyn felt her appraising him in the same manner thinking that he was considered shapely by the two-legs at Ayre Hall.

Torstyn looked through Rhea's eyes at himself. He was sitting in the saddle with a vacant expression on his face. He had dirty blonde hair that he swept to his right side, green eyes, a straight nose , a full lipped mouth and a soft chin, he was also built athletically like most of the dragon riders, but he wore slightly loose lamarae clothing that did little to show his build and allowed him to move more freely in a fight.

Moving back into himself he saw Aclea below and he realized the obvious, there was no smoke from any of the chimneys in the village even though it was midday.

_Rhea, let's check it out._

As soon as he thought that she started descending. As they descended Torstyn readied himself for mental combat, thinking of his favorite tavern song.

Rhea landed lightly as only she could the only sound being her wings and the slither of scales as she touched the ground. The air around them suddenly smelled like the air just before a lightning strike, heavy and slightly metallic, as Rhea readied herself for a fight.

Torstyn was still worried about Rhea. All of the other dragons at Grimstad could breathe fire and Rhea was almost three years old and she never even blew smoke. Putting aside his worries Torstyn examined the town they had landed in. The nearest buildings were stores that looked eerily vacant. What was more no one had come to greet them or was outside.

Just as he finished this thought six black-robed figures stepped into the street from a house a quarter-mile down a street he was facing. They all had swords strapped on by the look of their robes. Five of them walked with a slight hunch as though carrying heavy burdens, while the sixth one stood a good foot taller than the rest. He only vaguely registered this with his peripheral vision as his true focus was on what the five hunched figures were carrying. . .Human bodies, presumably the inhabitants of the village, and by the drained look of their skin as well as the wounds each body bore he knew they were dead.

He quickly moved out of the figures sight. He was about to tell Rhea to hide when he noticed that she was nowhere in sight.

_Stay hidden Torstyn I'll keep watch from above. Whatever you do don't let them catch you_. Came Rhea's response. To Torstyn's questioning thoughts.

Torstyn was still amazed at how quiet Rhea was. He'd never even heard her wings unfold. He took Rhea's advice though and ran to the palisade gates. He easily jumped the six foot height and ran for a clearing that he saw on the flight over.

Just as he reached the clearing where Rhea had landed to wait for him he heard a hideous shriek from the direction of the village. It sounded like the time he had gone to Ilirea and seen a merchant demonstrate what not to do with something he had called a chalkboard and then proceeded to dig his nails into it and drag them across it. This shriek was like that but a hundred times worse. He covered his ears but he felt it in his bones. The shriek was mercifully short but just as he was about to relax he caught a whiff of rancid meat on the wind.

He didn't want to meet whatever it was that those things had called, so he quickly vaulted onto Rhea's back and they took off. Afterward Torstyn discovered that Rhea was so ready to get away and so scared of whatever it was that they had seen that she didn't stop for so long that he fell asleep on her back.

When he woke up he was in the courtyard of Ayre Hall. Ayre Hall was where the riders in training lived after they came to Grimstad from Alegaesia. Ayre Hall was a building of massive proportions that even dragons of most ages could walk even fly around in if they so choose to do so. It also looked as if it had grown out of the ground of the cliff ledge that Grimstad was built on.

His friends and fellow riders had gathered around him and were trying to talk to him, some even trying to touch his mind. He immediately saw why.

Rhea was heaving and as she coughed, a strange growling roar, blood coated her snout. It had taken them three days of leisurely flight to get to Aclea. Rhea had done it in less than twenty-four hours as he noticed it was shortly after dawn.

"WHAT HAPPENED?!"came the booming voice of the Ayre hall caretaker, Valoren Shadow- Flame. He came in sight shortly after his voice was heard. A tall dwarf he stood five feet three inches. His dragon Bracken behind him. Valoren was a mass of muscle, and his hair was the same black as his dragon's scales.

"Now lad what happened to you that she got like this?" said Valoren.

Torstyn didn't hear him on account that Rhea's pain from flying so hard had swept over his link with her and made it hard to breathe let alone talk.

Valoren muttered something in the Ancient Language and suddenly the pain from Rhea stopped and she started breathing more evenly again.

"Thank you Ebrithil", Torstyn said.

"Let's get her to the healers then maybe you can explain why she is like this eh Torstyn?"

"Yes Ebrithil."

Bracken and another dragon picked up Rhea by the torso and flew her to the healers building on the other side of Grimstad. When they landed a severe looking elf named Dhaleen came over with five other healers and they started working on Rhea immediately. At which point Valoren came over and said," Now I want an explanation for why Rhea nearly killed herself getting you her Torstyn. Neither you nor Rhea are boneheaded so by Helzvog's beard did you not stop her?"

The anger in his voice was unmistakable. Valoren was a bit harsh some time but he always made time for Torstyn and Rhea so his anger was understandable.

"We went to investigate some reports of disappearances near Aclea. What we found shook her up so bad that Rhea didn't stop when we left. The rest of the details can wait until I report this to Murtagh." Torstyn said when Valoren opened his mouth to ask what happened again.

"Then we had best go see him lad."

Torstyn got up from the bench he had been sitting on and climbed into Bracken's saddle behind Valoren. Once Torstyn was settled Bracken took off over the massive rooftops of Grimstad toward the highest building in Grimstad, The Ruby Tower.

They landed inside the massive dome on top of the Tower. The inside of which was enchanted to let in dragons but not the elements. When they landed Thorn came to greet them.

_Valoren, Bracken to what do I owe this rare pleasure?_ Said Thorn as he looked at Bracken. It was at that point he noticed Torstyn.

_Torstyn why are you here and where is Rhea? _Thorn said in his deep voice.

"Ebrithil. Rhea is being healed and I am here because I need to report about our visit to Aclea."Torstyn replied.

_Very well, follow me. _

They followed Thorn through the tower passing rooms full of scrolls and tomes that only full-fledged riders were allowed to read, as well as other rooms where students learned magic from the more senior riders. It was in one of these rooms that they found Murtagh.

"Don't try something so ambitious Jace you will kill yourself if you aren't more careful!" Murtagh was saying to a boy whose eyes were white with blindness as he tried to create a massive fireball.

Torstyn was wondering how to interrupt the lesson politely when Murtagh said," Stop wasting energy on show Jace , also keep it simple for now. We're done for today. I will see you tomorrow."

Jace left and Murtagh turned his attention to Torstyn.

"Well?" Murtagh said with a raised eyebrow.

"Ebrithil I-"

"I would imagine you cared for Rhea more than to let her do that Torstyn."

Murtagh's words cut Torstyn off as well as wounded his pride. Torstyn cared as much for his dragon as he did himself if not more so. But he ignored his feelings of guilt and stepped forward all too aware of his audience and instead of responding to Murtagh's question he explained what had occurred at Aclea and the strange figures that had seemingly killed the entire village or so Torstyn assumed.

If it were possible Murtagh looked even more serious than he usually did. _Has he_ _arrived yet?_ Murtagh asked Thorn.

_Yes he and his bonded are heading to this room right now_. Thorn said sounding a little shaken. What was going on? Thorn a massive ruby dragon that was one of the best fighters in the conglomeration that was the riders was shaken and Murtagh, the fiercest fighter in Grimstad was wary. Who- what were those strange figures in Aclea?

Five minutes later Torstyn found out who they had been talking about. Eragon, the leader of the riders, walked in the room with Saphira right behind him.

"Murtagh." Eragon said.

"Eragon we have a serious problem."

_What is this problem Murtagh? What has you in such a foul mood?_ Saphira said.

"Tell him what happened at Aclea Torstyn."

And so Torstyn explained everything including the condition of Rhea. When Torstyn was finished with his story Eragon went to the nearest bench and put his face in his hands. When he looked up again he spoke as though he were a thousand years older.

"They have returned."

Torstyn was astounded not only was Murtagh, worried about these figures Eragon, _The _ Eragon, was troubled by whatever these things in Aclea were.

"Who are they?" Torstyn said although he had an idea of what those things were and he didn't want to be right but then Eragon confirmed his suspicions and dread settled in Torstyn.

"The Ra'zac have returned."


End file.
